iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Woodmizer Sawmill LT-15, any experience?

Started by intuderby, December 17, 2012, 03:36:38 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

intuderby

Dear members,

we are in evaluation to buy a Woodmizer Sawmill LT-15 mostly for hardwood, it will support the work? or maybe the LT-40 could be better?

thanks in advance

Dodgy Loner

You'll find experience a-plenty here :D

Tell us more about what you plan to do. The LT15 does a fabulous job at sawing hardwoods. Even better if you get the 25 HP engine, but that's by no means a necessity.

The LT40 is another great mill. It has a larger capacity and a bigger engine. It comes on a trailer and has the options for all sorts of hydraulics and gadgets that will ease your labor and increase your productivity. But the extra productivity will be wasted if you don't need it. So pull up a stump and tell us what you have in mind, and hopefully we can steer you in the right direction :)
"There is hardly anything in the world that some man cannot make a little worse and sell a little cheaper, and the people who consider price only are this man's lawful prey." -John Ruskin

Any idiot can write a woodworking blog. Here's mine.

downsouth

Welcome. No question about it, the lt40 woul be better. But the lt15 does just fine. I have cut a good bit of hardwood and softwood with no problem. (I have an lt15) It all depends on how much money you have to invest and how much manual labor you are willing to do.

Ohio_Bill

Welcome to the forum, I have owned 3 Woodmizer mills over the last 15 years. I had a LT15 for 4 years and cut over 100,000 bt with it. It is still in operation at a neighbor's farm. The LT15, s is a great manual mill and like all manual mills very labor intensive.
Depending on the amount of production you are looking for would be the way I would chose a mill.  IMO if you are looking for higher production the only way to go is a hydraulic mill.
Bill
USAF Veteran  C141 Loadmaster
LT 40 HDD42-RA   , Allis Chalmers I 500 Forklift , Allis Chalmers 840 Loader , International 4300 , Zetor 6245 Tractor – Loader ,Bob Cat 763 , Riehl Steel Edger

Warren

As stated above, the LT15 will do everything the bigger mills will do.  Just not as fast.    But. time is money.  The ability to saw more volume, faster, costs money.  I started with an LT15 for 2 years before buying my LT40 to make sure that I would like sawing.  Got bit by the saw dust bug. 

Besides the mill, you also might want to think about support equipment.  How will you load / unload / move logs ?  How will you load / move finished lumber ?  How will you move slabs, edgings, saw dust ?
LT40SHD42, Case 1845C,  Baker Edger ...  And still not near enough time in the day ...

ladylake

 A friend has a LT15, nice looking mill.  With enough help it can put out lumber fast enough.  By yourself, not so easy, turning a big snarly log is tough.   Steve
Timberking B20  18000  hours +  Case75xt grapple + forks+8" snow bucket + dirt bucket   770 Oliver   Lots(too many) of chainsaws, Like the Echo saws and the Stihl and Husky     W5  Case loader   1  trailers  Wright sharpener     Suffolk  setter Volvo MCT125c skid loader

thecfarm

intuderby,welcome to the forum. I have a manual mill. I only saw for myself,never brought it to saw for others. It is SLOW and ALOT of work. But it depends on what you are sawing and what your market is.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

moandrich

I see a lot of people buy new mills for there first mill.  There a lot of manufactures that make high quality mills that people should not be afraid of because they are used, manual mills are especially available used.  We bought ours used, 15 years old but still cuts perfect lumber.  We have had a few repairs but we actually enjoyed doing them because you learn more about the way the mill is built and works, with the knowledge available on this website you would have no problem.  We love our lt30 woodmizer but will probably update to a hydraulic mill next year, and based on the members here will buy used.
woodmizer lt 40HD  2007
Kubota RTVX1100 2019
Kubota L3940   2009

WDH

With good logs, a helper, and a willingness to work hard, you can cut 1000 board feet of 1" hardwood in a day on a LT15.  The helper makes it easier to turn the big logs.  I wish that I had a helper  :).
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

Magicman

Welcome to the Forestry Forum,   intuderby.  Which sawmill model you need will depend upon your production expectations.  How about sharing some additional information regarding your expected sawing interest.
Knothole Sawmill, LLC     '98 Wood-Mizer LT40SuperHydraulic   WM Million BF Club Member   WM Pro Sawyer Network

It's Weird being the Same Age as Old People

Never allow your "need" to make money to exceed your "desire" to provide quality service.....The Magicman

intuderby


thanks a lot for the replies.

i have a forest concession in Perú and the access is only for river and we have more than 8000 cubic meters to extract. now i see that the LT40 could be a better work but it won't be easy to take to the area, a Lt 15 will be easier to do. my expectations to produce are at least 6000 cubic meters in the shortest time possible

beenthere

Too bad Jim King isn't still with us. May he rest in peace.
You may gain some good insight to your project by reading up on some of the experiences and frustrations Jim King offerred while he was seemingly doing the same thing as you suggest in your plan.

Welcome to the Forestry Forum.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

kderby

That pencils out to a couple million board feet in our measuring system.  I understand your access problems and perhaps you could afford two LT-15.  Then one could be running while the other is getting Moved/set up.  Two teams of operators could really put out more volume.

Do reference Jim King as he was our resident expert on your part of the world.

Kderby

Ianab

Have you considered the swingblade (Lucas / Peterson) sawmills?

I'm assuming you have plenty of manpower, but roads and machinery are limited?

They are designed for that sort of work. Being carried into the jungle, set up where the logs fall, or on a temporary landing . Able to handle larger sized logs, simple and reliable mechanically (important in the bush)

Portability will be a problem with an LT40, you pretty much need a "road", and a small truck, to move one.. LT15 is probably going to struggle with the larger rainforest logs?

Ian
Weekend warrior, Peterson JP test pilot, Dolmar 7900 and Stihl MS310 saws and  the usual collection of power tools :)

Stan Willis 49

Love my LT15 . I moved up from a CSM so when they talk about amount work it takes to run mill I just think back to wrestling my stihl 066 with a 36 inch bar and think this is a piece of cake..

Brad_bb

I can't picture how much 6000 cu meters is in lumber, which i assume is what you are making.  But I would think that moving faster sawing equipment in and assembling on site would save you more time sawing than it would take to haul it in.  In addition, as has been suggested, if you will not have equipment to load logs onto the mill, you may want to consider a swingmill that can easily be moved and set up on each log, especially if you are dealing with very large, heavy logs.  Give us a better idea of you conditions and capabilities on site. Will there be a landing?  Will there be equipment to move logs to the landing/mill?  Will there be a machine to load logs on a mill? 
Anything someone can design, I can sure figure out how to fix!
If I say it\\\\\\\'s going to take so long, multiply that by at least 3!

scully

At a lower price point the LT35 may be a good option ,it has the hydrilics of the 40 but a lighter weight head ,I can't picture manhandleing a 15 around without a pickup truck or something , I'm thinking something with wheels for sure , that much timber is gonna take machinery if you got machines you can drag a mill !
I bleed orange  .

WDH

The good thing about the LT15 is that it is a simple machine, although very capable.  Simple is good when you are a long way from support.  A LT40 will hammer out the volume much faster as long as there are no issues.  And there will be issues, especially in a difficult environment. 

The LT15 does not have fancy electronics, no computers, etc that can develop glitches that you cannot fix yourself.  It is all manual, and that makes it more predicable and more reliable in a remote environment.  Sometimes simple is more better.
Woodmizer LT40HDD35, John Deere 2155, Kubota M5-111, Kubota L2501, Nyle L53 Dehumidification Kiln, and a passion for all things with leafs, twigs, and bark.  hamsleyhardwood.com

intuderby

thanks again everyone,

kderby, maybe get two LT-15 will be a great idea, instead the LT-40 itself.
Ianab, there isn't too many brands available in my country, woodmizer is available here at a reasonable price
brad_bb in fact i have permission to extract 1800000 tablar feet in total

thanks

Warren

Quote from: WDH on December 17, 2012, 10:23:32 PM
With good logs, a helper, and a willingness to work hard, you can cut 1000 board feet of 1" hardwood in a day on a LT15.  The helper makes it easier to turn the big logs.  I wish that I had a helper  :).

I managed 1100 BF of oak lumber in one day, one time, on my LT15.  Used 1.1 gal of diesel fuel and the daughter's (former Marine) boyfriend for a helper.  It's possible.  More frequently generated 500 to 600 BF of oak lumber working by my self. 

As pointed out above, the LT15 is a far simpler machine to set up, maintain, and repair.  Also, the LT15 is much easier to disassemble and transport where hard surface roads and tow vehicles may not always be an option.   If it will be used in a remote area, the KISS factor for the LT15 is very high.

just my $0.02...
LT40SHD42, Case 1845C,  Baker Edger ...  And still not near enough time in the day ...

intuderby

Thanks a lot warren, sounds reasonable to me. i ahve to work in remotes areas

steve marek

Weclome to the forum I looked at mills  for 5 years before I bought one. I bought an lt40hd. I do alot of sawing by myself hydraulics is like having another person helping you. It is alot easier on your body.
WM LT40HD logrite ach 718 woodmaster timber framing tools 3000 ford tractor 359 395 husky chainsaw woodmizer e50 single blade edger woodmizer 260 moulder 2538 mahindra tractor kd 250 kiln

Thank You Sponsors!